It has been my observation while strolling through Proverbs there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death (see Proverbs 14:12). I noted something similar in Isaiah 5:20 – Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (NIV) Continue reading “Moral Absolutes”
Tag: Proverbs
Responding To Friction
To my young friend Albert, here are my thoughts on friction (verbal jousting) when talking about the things of God between friends. It has been my observation – when someone challenges how we use our belief system to make decisions, the verbal aggression and volume of our response is inversely proportional to our: (1) Assurance what we believe is unconditionally true; (2) Knowledge of the true nature of grace and the all-powerful living God; (3) Ability to suppress our fight or flight response; and (4) Assurance we are doing the right thing for the right reasons.
Observing how Jesus operates in Luke (His repetitive encounters and struggles with local leaders), Jesus rarely uses verbal aggression and volume to make a point. Rather, He tends to embrace logic (premise, supporting evidence, conclusion), presented in a calm voice, bathed in love for the listeners, and enveloped with the shekinah glory of God. Jesus exudes assurance, his actions reflect unconditional truth. Given the example of Jesus in Luke, we should take note of his approach. We gain knowledge of grace and God’s power by seeing how people make decisions when confronted by the truth. I think every time a person decides an issue, two things happen.
First, we make a choice (the right thing versus the wrong thing). The decision often includes consequences. Before we choose the path, we consider the available guidance from Scripture, listen to the nuances from the Holy Spirit, foster a willingness to abide within the wisdom and counsel of God; then implement the decision.
Second, we build character. Each time we decide to act on an issue, we draw from all we know (including our character) to continue. The outcome of our actions reflects our gradually morphing world view. We are learning how to manage our fight or flight response. The direction we take reflects our character. Our character is constantly aligning with our current decisions. Decisions that are based on a stable set of principles strengthen the resolve of our character. The aftermath of each decision gradually builds or diminishes our walk with God and our character (implied in Luke 6:45). “As a man thinketh; a man is” (Proverbs 23:7). As we grow, we gain assurance how to differentiate between right and wrong. And, at the same time we learn how to love the unlovely.
JI Packer said – “To love God and our neighbor requires us to behave like a referee. Our purpose is to live in a manner that is as pleasing to God and beneficial to our neighbor, within the limits that God has set.”
To this end, love prompts three ideas. First, love directs us to gain thorough knowledge of the full range of scriptural guidance. Without this basic knowledge, good decisions will be impossible. Second, love directs us, in each situation, to secure as much relevant information about actual causes and consequences as we can. The more information we have the better the decision. Third, love directs us, when we struggle with lack of knowledge or experience, to seek counsel from others who are better qualified to suggest what should be done, while at the same time declining to be swayed by loud noises and friction from people who are enthusiastic but not well informed.
Our life should be less about our self and more about Jesus (implied in Galatians 2:20). Paul tells us several times – I know what the right thing to do is, but I rarely get there all the time. Yet Paul claims victory because of the grace of God offered to him, renewed every morning, presented to Paul as a tool of restoral. Embracing grace, Paul can see a path forward. How then, do we move forward? Do we walk backwards in a circle, in a dark room, thinking about our past mistakes? Humm. We should walk forward, in a straight line, guided by light, embracing grace, looking to Jesus for help to do what needs to be done.
I choose Jesus.
Proverbs
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
Choose The Right Path
In a previous universe, I served on a jury for a child molestation case in the Midwest. The accused was a schoolteacher. It was an emotionally demanding thing to sit and listen carefully to the testimony of adult children, experts, and friends of the accused. When we (the jury) wandered off into our room to sit and talk about what we had heard, what we thought, and render a decision, it was amazing to me how many different views of the truth existed within this body of twelve people. In the end we the jury became deadlocked. One person on the jury would not budge off their view that the accused was innocent, the other 11 (including me) felt the accused was guilty. After 2 weeks of deliberation, we told the judge we could not come to an agreement, and that ended my involvement. Continue reading “Choose The Right Path”
Your World View Matters
It has been my observation — At some point in our spiritual life, we all develop a world view. Simply stated, our world view is the perspective that defines how we observe and understand things around us. (implied in Exodus 9:16). Our world view sets the assumptions and perceptions we use to evaluate, understand ourselves, and assess our experiences. Our worldview is the blended composite of our church view, social view, family view, friendship choices, historical view, cultural view, personal view, job view, and our personality characteristics (implied in Jeremiah 29:11).
Our worldview influences everything we say and do (Proverbs 19:21). At its core, there are two basic paths for a world view — theistic or nontheistic. For those who know Jesus, the theistic worldview comes from scripture. The Bible presents a clear definition of the one true living God and sets out a powerful set of life principles used by Jesus to shape our life. The nontheistic worldview comes from all things secular. Often it becomes a life that gradually declines to quiet despair. Continue reading “Your World View Matters”
Walking With God
It has been my observation while reading Ephesians and Micah, the notion of walking with God is a common theme in scripture. Micah asks the question – What does the Lord need from you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 paraphrased). I noted three key points to his definition. I think we should take a deeper look at Justice, Kindness, and Humility.
Continue reading “Walking With God”
Shalom Talk 